The Spider and The Fly
by No1KnowsIWriteFanfics
Summary: A 16-year-old Integra develops a crush on the daughter of nobility and learns an important lesson about her life. Features quite a bit of Alucard/Integra fluff, so you have been warned.
1. A Semblance of Normalcy

Author's Note: _So wow. It's been uh... about 4 years since I last posted something. I'm sure there are quite a few people very upset that I never finished Into the Dark. Apologies for that; I had quite a bit going on in my life, and to be honest, my interest in finishing it waned._

 _I'm back with a new short story - This one in the Hellsing fandom. What can I say, I like writing about vampires._

 _This is going to be a two-parter examining the thoughts of a 16 year old Integra. In this story, I portrayed her as bisexual, which has sort of always been my head canon for her. I mainly wrote this as practice and for my own amusement, really. I'm very rusty at writing._

 _Anyway, if you enjoy, please leave a review!_

* * *

 **The Spider and The Fly**

 **Part One: A Semblance of Normalty**

Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing had never lived a normal life.

Even in the youngest days of her childhood, when all the other kids gathered in study groups at Sunday School, Integra knew she was not meant for their world. She stood apart from it, cold blue eyes harshly judging from somewhere distant. The other kids swiftly spread rumors about her, boldly claiming that she was the Evil Ice Queen of lore, that her family dabbled in dark magick, and her soul was a bargaining chip for the devil himself. They were only partially right. She didn't consider herself evil. Simply... necessary.

And then her father died.

It all happened so very fast. An uncle's betrayal, her own blood split on a cold dungeon floor, the movement of a white-haired corpse, and brutality delivered so fast, her mind could hardly register what was taking place. The gun had weighed heavily in her hands, and its recoil reverberated through her arms down into the pits of her stomach. Droplets of red sprinkled onto her large round glasses, and she found herself focusing on them, on their steady path down the surface.

Somewhere beyond that veil, an unfaithful uncle clutched futilely at his chest and fell to the floor.

To her right, HE was staring at her. Her eyes turned from the blood on her glasses to the red pools of his irises. It would be unfair to say the vampire's eyes were exactly the shade of the gory rivers currently gathering between cracks in stone. No, his eyes glowed with fire, violent orange and red like a sea of blood set alight in the moonlight. They whispered of wars and death and chaos- both in the past and to come.

"Alucard," she addressed him. Her expression didn't change as she worked through the not-so-subtle nuances behind the name. "Dracula."

He smiled.

There was nothing normal about him. But then again, the same could be said for her.

She smiled back, and it was frigid and devoid of mirth.

Her world shifted even further that night, into the night, into the realm of ghouls and occult and infinitely powerful pet vampires who, if given the opportunity, would enjoy biting the hand that feeds. Death surrounded her, emphasized by a threatening grin full of razor-like fangs. What would drive most grown men to insanity was her day-to-day life, and she orchestrated it with sharp words and quick wit and a flick of her thin wrist.

She would never admit it, not to herself and certainly not to aforementioned pet, but there were times she yearned for the simplicity that other girls her age were afforded. No cares, no papers to file concerning numerous civilian deaths, no old knights who questioned her every move and demanded she prove her worth. A life that was...

Simple.

But that seemed to be far out of her reach.

Even the successful field mission reports coming back to her nightly did their part to torment her anxiety. Currently, her men were terrified of her pet vampire and the methods he used to silence their foes. She didn't see what the fuss was about. Alucard was ruthless, sadistic, and loved toying with his prey, but he had never struck out against her men. On the contrary, he seemed quite happy to ignore them for the most part. Surely, they knew she would never allow Alucard to harm them.

Even so, his powers were still a mystery to her. She knew he could change form at will, control minds, and regenerate severed limbs, but there was a whole other level of mystery to his powers that she had yet to comprehend. Alucard didn't like talking about himself very much, preferring to leave the research to her, and her ancestor's notes were vague and hidden in various parts throughout the mansion. Most recently, she had discovered her father's notes on the Cromwell Restraint System, a spell that prevented Alucard from reaching the full levels of his powers. The information both intrigued and terrified her. Just how powerful was the vampire servant she commanded? She had seen him commit monstrous inhuman acts - How could he possibly be more powerful than he already was?

The thought of it made her head ache, and Integra yet again found herself yearning for naivety and a more carefree life.

Perhaps that was why, when offered the opportunity to go to a movie with the daughter of nobility, she accepted. The young girl was Integra's age- sixteen at the time. Integra and Alicia had met a few times at meetings and formal balls. They were an odd pairing. Where Integra was stoic and introspective, Alicia loved to laugh. It was a true laugh too, not the maniacal cackle of a bloodthirsty servant nor the polite chuckle of a nobleman. Alicia opted for skirts and fashionable blouses where Integra favored androgynous suits devoid of embellishments. Her hair was a dark brown and fell in waves about her shoulders - A stark contrast to Integra's own straight blonde locks. They weren't very alike at all, but even still, Integra found herself enamored by the girl. Her carefree air was something Integra envied.

The movie was a failure at entertainment - Some thriller that proudly clutched onto the idea that true love conquers all. What drivel. Sentiments like those got good men killed.

It was a late matinee, held just before twilight fell. When the two girls left the theater that evening Darkness had settled into the night. It was far too dark for Integra's liking, and she regretted the decision to walk to the theater. Her hand sought out the hard outline of the gun in her pocket as comfort. Silver bullets, effective against the living and dead.

"That movie," Alicia announced to the night air, "was awful."

"I'm glad you thought so. I was trying to think of anything redeemable about it."

"I really should have looked up reviews before suggesting it. But hey, the company was enjoyable, right?" She playfully nudged Integra with her arm, grinning slyly.

With head lowered, Integra was thankful for the veil of blonde hair that hid her blush. "Definitely no complaints there."

They walked a few feet in silence. Integra searched for something to say - How did normal teens talk? What did they talk about? Crushes, celebrities, fashion? None of those things held much appeal, and besides, she doubted she knew enough about any of that to hold a conversation.

And really, what did Integra have to offer? Though she wasn't unattractive, she also didn't perceive herself as the stereotypical vision of beauty either. Her eyes were too cold and calculating; her large round glasses would never be found on a super model. It was something she had neither thought nor cared about before this moment.

She also couldn't exactly let the other girl into her world of vampire-hunting and secret organizations. Relaxing with a movie or shopping or talking casually on the phone were typical teenage luxuries she could only rarely afford, and even then, her interest in them was limited. After all, she had far more important things on her mind, like murders and the supernatural underbelly of London. Even still, she wanted the girl to be impressed with her, to just smile that bright smile at her yet again.

Suddenly annoyed by the direction of her thoughts, she bunched her fists tightly against her skirt and grit her teeth in annoyance. Damn it, she was Integra Hellsing. Why would self doubt ever cross her mind?

A slight chill fluttered down her spine and pulled her from her self reflection. Integra stiffened. The atmosphere seemed suddenly heavy and cold. Having lived with a vampire for the better part of three years, she knew instantly what it meant - They were being stalked by something nonhuman. She became sharply aware of the lack of humans around, and her gaze instinctively roamed for an exit or safety. She played it off nonchalantly, shoving her hands into her pocket without so much as a hitch in her step. Her fingers curled over her gun.

"You know, it's probably not a good idea to walk this path so late," she told Alicia, cold blue eyes locked ahead of her.

The brunette waved a hand in dismissal. "I grew up here. There's hardly a crime rate." She leaned in and entwined her arm around Integra's elbow, oblivious to the weapon her friend currently held. "Unless the movie frightened you more than you're letting on."

The vampire stalking them did not cause Integra's heart to skip a beat, but the close contact with her human friend did. "Don't be daft," Integra stated, trying to focus on their surroundings and not the warmth of her friend's touch. Her heart erratically pounded within her chest, and she thought, wildly, that it was pointless and trivial and very, very nice.

The thought had hardly fluttered through her head before Alicia's hands fell away and she skipped ahead, twirling around to Integra with arms spread wide. "Always so serious, Miss Hellsing! It's okay to forget about the weight of the world every once in a while, you know!"

Integra glanced over her shoulder, attempting to gauge the distance of the vampire. "I'd prefer to always be prepared. The world is not kind, nor are the creatures in it."

"But there is kindness in it and good people too." Alicia reached forward for her friend's hand, her face softening with affection.

Integra was momentarily distracted by nerves. She took in Alicia's soft features, the scattering of freckles over the nose, the whispers of red that tinted her cheeks, the gentleness of her eyes... So unlike anyone else around the young Hellsing master... Her heart pounded an erratic rhythm.

But Alicia's fingers never made it to Integra.

In that second of distraction, a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around the thin brunette. A pale face flashed over her shoulder before Alicia was pulled into the dark alleyway.

Instantly, Integra jerked into action, tearing her gun from her pocket and pursuing like there was hell on her heels. The mocking laugh ahead of her was masculine. The crisp air burned her lungs as she pursued the creature down a series of empty alleys, and she urged her legs to move faster, smoother, stronger. When she reached a sudden dead end, her black shoes skidded across the gravel.

The vampire stood across from her against a brick wall. He looked to be in his thirties, but one could never tell with the undead. His hair was buzzcut, and he had a broad chest and thick muscles. Alicia was held roughly in his left arm, a thin pale hand curved over her mouth. She whimpered against his palm as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Gotcha," The vampire said.

With practiced poise and steadiness, Integra trained her gun on her target, who was wobbling with a struggling girl in his grasp. Hold still, she thought, gritting her teeth together and wishing Alicia could read minds like Alucard could. Aloud, she replied, "It looks more like I have you."

"Oh? Bullets have no affect on me, little girl. I'm infinitely more powerful than you could ever dream of being."

Her icy eyes narrowed in challenge. "I'm no little girl. I'm Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, head of the Hellsing organization, and I've bent stronger vampire than you to my will. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

The vampire exaggerated a frown and shrugged mockingly, but Integra kept half her attention drawn to her friend.

Alicia had stilled in surprise at Integra's declaration. Her eyebrows had pulled together in confusion and question.

"Pity," Integra stated with a smirk. The trigger lowered at the perfect moment. The bullet brushed past Alicia's brown curls with a gust of power and caught the undead directly in the shoulder. He hissed and recoiled back, fangs bared dangerously. At the same time, Alicia pulled away from the injured monster in an attempt to escape the carnage and danger. The move backfired when the momentum slammed her head into a nearby metal escape stairway. She slumped onto the damp and grimey alley floor. Blood trickled from a wound on her head, and she dizzily struggled to focus on the events transpiring around her.

The vampire pressed a palm against the wound in his shoulder, where smoke billowed from silver fusing to flesh. "The hell?!" he exclaimed. "You stupid bitch!"

"I am no bitch." Her words were emphasized by another bullet landing in his that took off the arm entirely. "I am Integra Hellsing, Master of Monster, and you WILL remember my name." Another bullet hit his leg, bringing him down to his knees.

Integra was no cheap shot. By the time she could walk, she was being trained in the art of guns - Not to mention Alucard's taunting training sessions in the firearm range. If she had truly wanted to, she could have easily driven a silver bullet into the vampire's chest. But this vampire had ruined a perfectly good normal afternoon with supernatural bullshit, and she wanted him to suffer for it. She aimed her next shot for his groin just for the sheer joy of making him suffer.

It was this vengeful mentality that proved to be her error. Two teen vampires, a male and a female, both thin and pretty- albeit incredibly generic - dropped down from the stairway above. They stood before their master defensively as he pulled himself together - quite literally.

Integra drew back as she reevaluated her strategy. Ok, three vampires- two fledgelings and one master. There was a potential weakness in Alicia, who cowardly watched the events with horror in her eyes, but none of the vampires seemed interested in her any longer. Idiots. Integra had faced worse odds, but she could no longer indulge her anger. A bullet to the chest swiftly took out the male teenager, but it enraged the other two. She aimed for the female then. If she took out the immediate threat quickly, she may have time to kill the master before he recovered from his wounds. Her fingers pulled the trigger twice...

Only to be met with the hollow click of an empty gun.

Shit.

Both vampires grinned at the promised victory the sound signified.

Why didn't she take her damn sword with her?

Because a normal teen does not take swords with her to the movie theater. With that thought, she scowled in disgust.

Let them revel in their perceived victory, she thought viciously. Her mind reached out for the cold thread that connected her to her servant. It wasn't technically a thread, but that's what it felt like to her, and thus, that's how she described it. It was always there, in the darkness of her head, a steady reminder of just who was on the other side. She found it, clutched onto it and sent her thoughts vibrating through the connection like an old-fashioned string-and-can telephone. ALUCARD, it shouted. NOW!

Meanwhile, the female vampire, smirk still firmly planted confidently on her face, pulled a blade from her coat. She elegantly flipped it between her thin fingers once before jerking into action, her feet a blur as she raced toward her perceived prey.

But Integra was no victim. She readjusted her hands on the grip of the empty gun. If it couldn't be used to shoot, then the silver barrel could at least be shoved through an undead's eye socket. "Come on, vile beast," she shouted as she repositioned her feet in the gravel to prepare for impact.

With psychotic eyes wide with bloodlust, the vampire lifted her blade and -

Red.

Integra's vision was flooded with the color before her, and she cursed herself for not sensing his presence earlier. His gun had caught the descent of the vampire's knife.

"Alucard," she stated.

Locked in position, holding the female vampire back with no effort, he tilted his head so he could see the young Hellsing around his orange-tinted glasses. "Master," he greeting her, then shoved his opponent to the other side of the alley, where she hit the brick wall with a painful thud.

Keeping her voice carefully neutral, Integra said, "You're late."

Alucard's gaze flitted over the two vampires before him and the wounded human girl that bled on the alley floor, and his grin widened. "Why, Master, had I known you were having this much fun without me, I would have been here sooner."

The master vampire had finally removed the bullet from the wound in his leg and stood shakily. Darkened shadows were working to piece his severed arm back into place. "Back off," he shouted to Alucard with fangs bared. "This one belongs to me!"

Alucard moved languidly to the side, but the power radiating from him screamed of bloodthirst. He reminded Integra of a lion circling his wounded prey. "Actually, I believe you'll find that I belong to her." He lowered his head so bloody eyes peered over the top of orange glasses. "And that makes the chances of you owning her incredibly slim."

His opponent scoffed at that and looked between the Hellsing heir and her servant. "Humans don't own vampires."

Integra raised one blonde eyebrow and smirked. "I do."

Alucard bowed then to her, one arm curled over his chest and the other spread to the other vampires before them. "Your orders, my Master?"

"You already know them, servant. Search and Destroy. Remove this undead vermin from my sight."

His muscles coiled as he positioned himself for the strike. His already crazed expression evolved further into insanity; his eyes widened, his lips pulled back over suddenly shark-like teeth.

An idea occurred to Integra, and she held up a hand. "Alucard, wait."

Though he didn't turn to her, his body stilled, and she knew he was listening.

A thrill of fear and... was that excitement? shivered over her skin as she considered her next words. "Release the Cromwell Restrictions. Level 3, if you will." She tried to infuse her words with the power and confidence she didn't quite feel.

The request surprised her vampire. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"That is something you can do, isn't it?" She meant for the question to be taunting, but the underlying doubt weakened it. Those soldier reports better be true, so help her God. She refused to be made a fool, especially in front her enemies and especially in front of Alucard.

Alucard straightened to his full impressive height. A smirk pulled at the corners of his lips. He formed a rectangle with his fingers. "Releasing control art restriction to level three as commanded by the descendant of Van Helsing. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until further commands are given." As he spoke, his form melted into darkness. Only the whites of his gloves remained and in the center of his fingers, a single glowing eyeball positioned within his chest.

Coldness was the first thing Integra felt in that dark alley. It was the soul-chilling coolness of the dead, a quick drop in temperature that was as unnatural and unnerving as the countless red eyes opening in the shadows. Those shadows darkened and expanded into an infinite limbo, stretching over the entire alleyway. Somewhere within the blackness, Alicia screamed in horror, but Integra couldn't locate her. Integra herself was lost in the alley that suddenly reached into forever. Fear was gripping her own heart, amplified by a mixture of claustrophobia and confusion and the stare of those damned eyes. The shadows had legs like centipedes that prickled over her limbs and leathery wings that brushed the edges of her hair. But, she noted with determination, the familiars writhing within the dark didn't harm her. They surrounded her, but their focus was on their actual prey. After all, this was Alucard's doing, and he could not hurt her.

It was that solidifying thought that gave her the courage to blindly reach her hand into the void. She called her servants' name in her head. A single large red eye focused on her, and she directed her intentions to it. Protect the human girl over there. The injured one that's afraid. She wondered, as she directed the thoughts to the glowing iris, if he had understood her. Don't let any harm come to her. The eye narrowed with amusement, cruel laughter glittering within their depths, before closing and vanishing, and Integra knew then that her message had been received.

She refocused her attentions to the master vampire and his fledgling, both of whom were currently watching the monstrosities before them with wide, frightened expressions. Good. Let them experience the terror they themselves thrived on for so long. From somewhere nearby, the soft sounds of Alicia's sobs underscored the scene, but Integra still couldn't locate her. She suspected that Alucard had hidden her from prying eyes. Out of sight, out of mind. And safe. Good servant. Tendrils of shadows ran against her side, and she idly ran her fingers over it as though petting a cat.

The master vampire had fully recovered from his wounds; his limbs were attached and his shoulder was no longer smoking from an embedded bullet. His healed state gave him the confidence to shout out, "What the hell is this? Come out and face me, you coward. I'm sick of your pathetic illusions."

"A coward, am I?" The deep laughter came from both everyone and nowhere. "I'm not the vampire frozen in fear of the dark. I'll show you terror!" The words had escalated into a growl of madness. Some of the writhing shadows congregated to a point and knitted together, becoming sinew and muscle, hair and leather. As his curled fingers lifted into the air, the glow of his gloves' insignia dimly illuminated his face. Everything about him had changed: His hair was longer and moved with a life of its own, becoming blood and shadows as often as not. Orange glasses no longer concealed his crazed eyes. His coat and hat had been traded in for old thick leather and straps in a mockery of a broken straight jacket.

Integra was reminded of their first meeting and the similar outfit he had worn then. Had he been wearing it this entire time, and the faux Victorian coat he favored was merely an illusion? It had certainly felt real. Then again, it was always difficult to tell what was real about the ancient vampire and what was farce.

Alucard tilted his head back and smirked. With an unnerving confidence, he beckoned the master vampire forward with a bend of his wrist.

The challenge was accepted with rage as the other vampire pushed himself away from the brick wall and rushed foward with inhuman speed. With teeth bared, he aimed the first punch to Alucard's face. It never reached its target. The wrist was caught in a gloved hand as Alucard's heavy boot collided with the smaller vampire's chest. As easily as a leg being plucked from a spider, the master vampire's arm was dragged from its socket. Skin and muscle tore, blood sprayed in an arcing mist, and Aluard smiled all the while at the carnage. He held the lost arm like a trophy of war, watching as the smaller man screamed and stumbled to stay upright.

"Tell me there's more to you than that," Alucard said, his baritone voice a low chilling threat. He snapped the arm in two and dropped the useless limb onto the damp alley floor. "How dare such pathetic filth create fledglings?" His gaze quickly darted to the female vampire, who trembled, shook her head in fear, and retreated back a step.

"Better that than a slave to a human bitch!" the master vampire growled through clenched teeth. "Killing your own kind! You're nothing!" He spat at Alucard's feet and glared up at him.

The amusement fell from Alucard's face and was replaced by anger. Lips curled over his fangs. Without a word, shadowy tendrils slammed into the wounded vampire and shoved him back into the bricks behind him. The shadows curved over his throat and remaining limbs before lifting him helplessly off the ground.

With the main threat out of the way for the time being, Alucard focused his attentions on the terrified fledgling and approached with deliberately slow movements. She stood frozen in fear, eyes round and lips parted. A whimper escaped her throat as he stared down at her. Her knife clattered to the gravel ground, and she did what any self-preserving animal would do when faced with an immensely powerful predator: She tilted her head and bared her throat to him in surrender.

"No!" her sire screamed from against the wall. "No, you are mine! I created you! You serve only me!"

In an almost tender gesture, Alucard traced his thumb against the young fledgling's cheek. "She's mine now, you inadequate would-be No Life King." With a deceptively gentle grin, he lowered his face to hers, and for one brief, fluttering moment, Integra thought he would kiss her. But his lips brushed past her cheek and stopped over her throat. His lips parted and fangs pierced her artery. She closed her eyes, her sharp inhaled breath pulled through her teeth.

Up until that point, Integra had watched the events before her with an almost detached horror. Despite the chills dancing over her skin from the feathery touch of shadows, she trained her expression into a mask of nonchalance, watching blankly as Alucard drank from his willing victim. It was almost obscene, the combination of gentleness and death, of tenderness and destruction. He supported her back with one arm and her head with the other in a mockery of a lover's embrace. His throat worked rhythmically as he took his fill of the woman's blood. And when he pulled away, blood stained his teeth.

The young vampire girl gazed blearily at him. Her red eyes drifted in and out of focus. Alucard muttered her name, a very soft word meant only for her; a name that came to him from the exchange of blood. When she narrowed her gaze to him, he drove his hand into her chest and crushed her heart with no effort. She gasped one final breath before shattering into dust.

The master vampire screamed, rage driving the sound to echo against the brick walls. "You bastard! You don't deserve to be called a vampire."

Alucard's grin widened, showing off his blood-tinged teeth. "Oh?"

"Cutting down fledglings before they reach their potential! Turning your back on your own kind to serve the humans beneath you! You traitorous, vile dog!"

Alucard's right arm blurred into a shapeless mass before merging with the shadows and taking a vague form. "If I'm a dog, then what would you call yourself, you pathetic creature who falls victim to a tamed monster such as myself?" The shadowy mass of his arm materialized into a nightmare-inducing beast, a hellhound with four pairs of glowing red eyes and rows of canine-like teeth. With massive paws and oil-like fur, its body was part black smoke and darkness. It melted and diverged, growling as it stared at its captive prey. "A dog, am I? You'll see how much of a dog I really am." The hellhound bound forward with one great leap and captured the other vampire's legs within its jaws, cutting through them easily.

Integra had prided herself on her ability to stay calm under highly disturbing circumstances, but looking at the giant creature Alucard had summoned, she felt her heart rate increase and her face go pale. Her instincts screamed at her to get out of there, to get away from such a feral, murderous beast. The sounds of the other vampire's horrific screams combined with the crunching of bones and flesh. Nausea curled within her stomach.

But this was what she wanted to see, wasn't it? This was what was frightening her men when they were on the battlefield with Alucard. She dared herself to turn away from the carnage and focus her attention on her vampire servant.

To her surprise, he was watching her, head tilted and an unreadable smirk on his face. Integra instantly tried to hide her apprehension, holding her head high in defiance. His smile only grew wider, and he stepped toward her languidly, circling slightly to stand behind her. At the same time, the hellhound had finished its meal and turned to lock its many crimson eyes on Integra. Her breath caught in her chest; Her heartbeat deafened her own rationale. At the creature's first step toward her, she made a retreating step back- Only to be halted by white gloved hands on her upper arms and Alucard's lips near her ear. "Have I done well, my master?"

She couldn't think to answer. The Hellhound had approached her and examined her with a multitude of eyes. Blood dripped from its jaws and trickled over the whites of its teeth, forming a puddle of gore beneath it. Her fists shook as she took in the sight of fangs as long as her body. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, but the tremble of her words betrayed her fears. With one monster at her back and another before her, Integra did all she could to defy them with her gaze. "Do you expect me to cower before you like a common child?"

"I'm merely showing you what you wanted to see tonight." Alucard answered.

His words helped steadied her. It was true - She had wanted to see what horrors Alucard was capable of, and he had provided her with enough monstrosity to last a life time.

But she was Integra Hellsing, and she controlled the king of all monsters. "Is this creature you, Alucard?"

"Yes," he answered. "And no." She felt his shrug rather than saw it.

That explained very little. She carefully lifted a hand and placed it atop the hellhound's nose. Its cold, wet skin felt exactly like what it was: The flesh of a corpse. Its cool breath against her bare hand smelled of rot and decay. With just the strength in one arm - Strength that otherwise had no chance of comparing to the monstrous hellbeast - she pushed down on the snout of the creature, coercing it to bow before her.

And it did. It lowered its head before the sixteen year old and closed its eyes in reverence.

Behind her, Alucard chuckled softly. His right arm extended, and with a flick of his wrist, he commanded the hellhound to return to him. Its form liquefied into shadows, once more becoming a part of the ancient vampire.

Integra exhaled a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Her hand fell to her side, but the unsettling memory of dead flesh still lingered. She turned on heel to face Alucard and was surprised to find him kneeling before her quite like the hellbeast he had summoned. His powers hadn't been locked away quite yet; she could feel the preternatural strength radiating off of him, making the hairs on her arms stand on end. The leather outfit still fit tightly over his lithe form, and his longer-than-usual hair concealed his face.

A similar image conjured in her head, an image of another version of her, younger, scared, and faced with familial betrayal, but nonetheless that lonely girl refused to give in to her enemies. Before her kneeled an ancient silver-haired vampire, starved, formidable, but somehow still loyal.

Had it only been three short years?

Integra softly placed her hands on his face and guided him to look at her. Frigid blue eyes met his fiery gaze evenly. Without having the need to breathe, he was as still as a porcelain sculpture. "Well done, servant," she stated.

He smiled a true smile at the compliment, pointed canines indenting his soft bottom lip. "My pleasure, my dear master," he responded with a voice as smooth as water against stone. "And what of the girl?"

Her eyebrows drew together. The girl? Oh shit, the girl! Alicia!

Integra spun quickly to locate her friend. How could she have forgotten? What kind of person was she? The area had been released from her servant's shadows, the darkness having retreated to god-knows-where. There in the corner, curled up tightly against the brick wall, Alicia hid as best she could. Her body trembled and heaved as she took in sharp ragged breaths. She fought to stay conscious, her eyes wide and darting swiftly between Integra and the leather-clad monster beside her. The wound on her head was still open and leaked dark red down her forehead, but that was the least of her worries. Or rather, perhaps, the most of her worries, considering the prevalence of vampires in the area.

Integra could feel Alucard's tall form looming behind her, waiting for her next order and hoping perhaps it would be to just do away with the sniveling girl in any way he saw fit. Instead, she lifted a hand and tilted her head toward him. "Stay here."

Her steps toward Alicia were swift and purposeful, but with every footfall, Alicia cowered further against the wall. Integra hesitated, then looked over her shoulder to make sure Alucard hadn't disobeyed and followed her; he hadn't. He remained where he was and lifted an eyebrow in indifference.

If it wasn't Alucard she was fearing... Why would Alicia be afraid of her?

She resumed her approach, this time slower, less intimidating. "Are you alright?" When there was no answer, Integra knelt down before the girl. "It's okay. You're safe now. Our attackers have been dealt with."

Alicia's wide eyes briefly fluttered to Alucard. "Who is he?"

"You don't have to worry about him. He works for me. He can't harm you." Behind her, Alucard scoffed at her words.

Trembling, her gaze returned to Integra as though seeing the other woman for the first time. "Who are you? What are you?"

Integra pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and moved to tend to the other girl's wound. "Your head injury needs to be cared for."

Before the cloth could reach Alicia's face, she smacked Integra's hand away from her. "Answer me, damn it! Who are you people?!" Her voice was wild with crazed panic.

Integra sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. Sure, she could have Alucard erase the girl's mind, but still, it wasn't what Integra wanted at that moment. "I'm Integra Hellsing," She started slowly, then hesitated. How much was she willing to say? "I am the head of the Hellsing household and business. You already know that, don't you? There's a lot about me and my organization you don't know."

"Obviously!" Alicia exclaimed, sounding for once like her old self.

She nodded. Her next words tumbled from her mouth like a dam had broken. "We specialize in the eradication of the undead, namely vampires. My ancestor was Abraham van Helsing. You may have heard of him from the many iterations of his book that exists. Most notably, he is known for the defeat of the most infamous and feared vampire that ever lived."

Alicia digested that information, her lips quivering as she muttered softly, "Dracula."

Integra continued, "My father died when I was twelve, and my uncle tried to murder me and assume control over the family business and wealth. Luckily for me, I not only inherited my family's name, but also their most dangerous and well-kept secret." She motioned behind her, in the direction Alucard was standing. She knew he'd be listening to her tale. Her lips quirked up in a humorless smirk. "You see, Dracula was never killed. He was merely... subdued."

A slow tear trickled down Alicia's face. Her eyebrows lowered as she connected the dots of Integra's story. "He's... ?" Her voice trailed off as she looked yet again at the imposing leather-clad monster.

"Yes. And he murdered the traitorous employees that my uncle hired, but I was the one that pulled the trigger and killed my uncle." Once she started talking, she found it hard to stop. Perhaps she needed this, to tell her story to someone that wasn't involved in her world. Her secrets and responsibilities were a heavy weight baring down on her shoulders. Seeing her friend's fearful gaze, she reassured, "He answers to no one but me, Alicia."

The young girl licked her dry lips. "Those people at school, they were right about you, weren't they? You have made a deal with the devil."

With a sudden frown, Integra shrugged. "I suppose. But it's only by my orders that good comes of it. I do God's work by directing my monster's bloodlust to the things that need to be eradicated from this earth. No innocents are suffering."

With her innocence destroyed by the violence and atrocities she had witnessed that night, Alicia wept silently and wiped away a droplet of blood that had trickled unto her eyelid. "Those creatures that attacked us... they were vampires," Alicia said. "And your organization kills vampires."

This time, her smirk was a bit more genuine. "We do."

Her gaze focused directly on Integra's eyes. "Just as you killed your uncle." Integra didn't like how harsh and judging her friend's expression suddenly look. "God would never use Satan for his work. You're a monster, Integra."

At those words, the Hellsing heir's heart froze within her chest and cracked apart. Something akin to pain wound and tightened within her, pulling her breath away. Integra Hellsing had been called many things over the years, but never a monster. No, she had witnessed atrocities and tragedies crafted by bloodlusting vampires; she had seen ghouls march aimlessly through the streets with hollow stares and wordless groans; she had watched children tear out their own parents' throats and young lovers lose their rational thoughts over the mere promise of violence. Those beings were monsters. How could Alicia ever compare them to her? Even if Integra orchestrated a violent scene of her own, it was for the greater good, and the only creatures to fall victim to it were the evil monsters that deserved it. She was nothing like the real monsters... right?

Inhaling deeply to regain control of her feelings, Integra stood rigidly. All emotion cleared from her face as her barriers were once again constructed. Eyes as cold as the last layer of hell glared dispassionately down at the teen girl. "Alucard," she called softly, her words barely above a whisper.

In an instant, he was there behind her. His gaze burned into the teenager on the ground, the quirk of his lips promising all manner of chaos and bloodshed.

Alicia's chest heaved in a sudden frightened gasp. Her fingernails clawed feebly at the brick wall as though she could somehow dig gouges deep enough to hide in. "Please, Integra," she pleaded. Strands of her hair clung to the bricks and cement behind her. "I didn't mean it. Don't let him kill me. Please!"

Her words only made Integra's heart hurt all the more. She stepped aside, removing herself as the barrier between her vampire and her once-friend. "Erase her mind, Alucard," she said. "Make her forget this night ever happened."

The vampire grinned wildly as though being offered a particularly tantalizing treat. Slowly, he lowered himself before the girl. She cried out in terror, pushing against the wall and muttering words of prayer and pleading. His gloved hand caught the squirming girl's chin and forced her to look at him. Her eyes fearfully roved over his pale face, stopping at the peek of sharp teeth between his lips. A whimper escaped her at the sight.

"Are you certain that's what you wish?" he asked Integra. His fingers curved into her cheeks with the urge to break bones.

The young Hellsing looked down at him, her countenance carefully blank. "I'm not a monster."

Alucard didn't immediately comply. The fingers of his free hand, suddenly ungloved, dragged over her forehead, smearing red over her skin. He brought the digits to his mouth and tasted the blood on each one, his tongue slowly savoring the rare taste. All the while, his eyes never left the human girl, who cried out at the sight.

"Do not harm her, Alucard," Integra warned. "That is an order."

His searing gaze focused on on a single teardrop that rolled over his victim's skin. It caught on a drop of blood and merged together before quickly gliding down her face. "Is this what you wish to be, Integra?" he questioned. "Prey for stronger beings? Ignorant to your place on the food chain?"

Integra remained unfazed. "All I wish right now is for you to listen to me and do your damn job."

At Integra's orders, Alicia whimpered and reached out to her once more. "I won't tell a soul, I swear! We'll pretend this never happened, Integra! I swear it! No one will know!"

With a gentle tug on her chin, Alucard once more commanded the trembling girl's attention. Her stare narrowed onto his eyes. "Shhhhh," he hissed through his teeth. The sound, though very soft, somehow echoed throughout the alleyway and seemed to reverberate from all directions at once. Even Integra felt the hairs on her arms stand on end.

Instantly, the human girl relaxed. Her tense shoulders drooped, her jaw went slack, and she found herself drawn into a pool of deep red. Why had she been so frightened earlier? What was there to fear? This man before her, he promised safety and eternal calm. Her chest tingled, and she was suddenly aware of the blood pumping through her neck. The rhythm was soothing, hypnotizing. She leaned forward, tilting her head up as though it were an offering before an ancient god.

Alucard kept his fingers on her chin and a hand against her shoulder to hold her upright. In another life, this girl, body and soul, would now be his. But that life had long since passed, and the collar that bound him to the whims of the Hellsing bloodline restricted his more monstrous tendencies.

So he said to her, "You'll forget this night ever happened. You went to see a movie alone and immediately returned home. You'll remember nothing of this night. You stopped nowhere, saw no one. Is that clear?"

"I saw no one," she murmured.

"Good girl. And now you're going to go to the edge of this street, hail down a cab, and return home. You will think of nothing until you arrive. Do you understand?"

At the girl's nod, Alucard released her. "You should return home now."

With instructions carefully planted in her head, Alicia stood, wincing at the pain in her body. It didn't matter. She just needed to get home. She began limping to the street. Get a cab. Get home. It was the only thing she could think about. What else was there to think about?

Integra watched her go, envying her friend's sudden sense of peace. "Will she be alright, do you think?"

"I can sense no supernatural dangers in the area." But his tone said he didn't particularly care either way.

"Hmm." She wasn't sure if she was satisfied with that answer or whether it was even what she meant. Her gaze turned back to her servant, looking over his leatherclad form. "I've seen enough. Return your seals to normal, Alucard."

With a bow, his clothing shifted once more into something more gentlemanly and vaguely Victorian. Black became red. His hair shortened. The immediate threat of power was reigned inward. In a matter of seconds, she was looking at the usual visage of her servant.

Her head tilted to the side thoughtfully. "We're going to need braver men," she mused to herself. Then, to Alucard, "I'm exhausted. Let's return home."

And so, side by side, master and servant chose the darker alley paths to walk together in silence; a pathway that, somehow, they both preferred.

* * *

Author's Note _: I rewrote those final few paragraphs quite a few times, and I never was satisfied. Oh, well. If I happen to think of a better ending, I'll edit it._

 _Part 2 will be focusing on the relationship between Alucard and Integra (because I adore their relationship so) and will also give a reason behind the title of this story._


	2. Illusions and Allusions

_This turned out much more fluffy than I at first intended; Then again, I kinda wrote what I felt like writing, and I had a fun time writing it. In a way, I wrote this for myself. If anyone else enjoys it, then that's a bonus. I'll probably go back and revise this at a later time so that it flows better._

 _This chapter features a lot of Alucard/Integra fluff, so if you're not into that, then you probably won't enjoy it. Fair warning._

* * *

Part Two: Illusions and Allusions

Despite everything, Integra Hellsing was still a human teenager.

She viewed this as an inconvenience and a weakness, and her life didn't permit weaknesses. Typical teenage trapfalls, such as sudden emotions or illogical confessions of love, only welcomed betrayal and blackmail. In fact, she could only fully trust two people in the entire world: Walter and... Well. Maybe one person.

Three days had passed since the attack in the alleyway. No one had mentioned the incident - Not even Alucard, who thrived on taunting Integra. Everything had returned to normal; or at least, as normal as things got in the Hellsing household. Integra gladly filed the entire event, movie and all, as a mistake she didn't intend on making again. In simpler terms, she was over it.

Or at least, that's the facade she presented.

As expected, Alicia remembered nothing of that night. When she had seen Integra the following day, she enthusiastically waved and suggested the two of them should see a movie that weekend.

"You know, I don't believe what the other girls say," Alicia had said, her voice low. "I don't think you're weird or evil."

Integra politely excused herself from the conversation.

* * *

There are two faces each person wears: One they put on display to the world, a reflection of how they would like to be viewed, and another they wear when they're alone and their guard is down.

Integra liked to think her appearance never changed; that she was always the impenetrable fortress that held her head high and intimidated Her Majesty's knights with a stony gaze.

Late that night, however, when a stack of paperwork was waiting for her in her office, she found herself in the rarely-used entertainment room instead. Dressed in a pair of navy pajamas, Integra was curled on the couch in front of the big screen tv. An awful B-Rate horror film from the 80s was playing currently. It featured terribly cliche vampires with embarrassingly fake fangs and caked-on white makeup; how most people viewed the undead, she supposed. Well. It was better than the romantic vision that some had adopted.

A glass of wine was clutched tightly in her hand. It was her second glass of the evening, and she could feel her head swirling slightly. She took a large drink, cringing slightly at the flavor. Briefly, she wondered how people enjoyed the taste, but then her fingertips tingled and her chest warmed, and it lessened the heavy weight in her heart. It was pleasant.

However, it did have a second, more unwelcome side effect.

Integra was crying.

It wasn't a full sobbing cry; it was more hollow and numb - Empty tears with no rhyme or reason. Why? She would stare at the tv screen, at an undead dramatically hissing at its prey, and an empty stray tear would streak down her cheek.

How embarrassing. How pointless.

She swallowed the bitter taste of wine and dulled her emotions with the shudder that followed.

Integra felt his presence behind her before she saw him: The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees, and the shadows in the corners seemed somehow darker, more dangerous. Quickly, she swiped her palms over her cheeks to get rid of any evidence of tears, but she knew the red tint of her face and bloodshot eyes betrayed her. Dammit. Why did it have to be him, of all people?

He approached her, but she refused to turn to acknowledge him, feigning interest in the television instead. The white gloved hands that firmly gripped her shoulders were smaller than she was expecting. It wasn't until he leaned close to her, his face hovering near her ear, that she sensed something was off. "Mind if I join you?" The voice that softly spoke to her was light and feminine; nothing at all like Alucard's deep baritone voice.

Integra jerked around in alarm, ignoring the wine that splashed onto her pajama pants, and held her hand out defensively. She took in the female creature before her: Long black hair, blunt bangs, porcelain skin; Integra's age, if not slightly younger. It laughed at her reaction, revealing two long fangs. If those didn't give away the creatures' undead state, its glowing crimson eyes certainly did. They were alight with sinister amusement, staring the object of its attention down critically.

Integra knew that smile and those eyes well. "Alucard?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

His lips twitched upward. "My Master," he responded in that same feminine voice.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Do you not like it?" With a flourish of his hands, he presented his new feminine form. His body was smaller as a female, and he seemed to prefer white over his typical darker clothing. The white double breasted suit, accented by a black button up undershirt and red tie, made a powerful image with his pale skin and dark hair. "I took on this form quite often during the war. Walter certainly liked it back in the day." No matter what appearance he took, that laugh never changed.

Integra scoffed and turned back to her movie. "I'm not in the mood for your games, Alucard. Find someone else to irritate."

"Like the poor helpless citizens of Britain?" he retorted.

"Only if you wish to be chained in the basement for another twenty years, vampire." Keeping her expression carefully neutral, she returned her wine glass to the coffee table in front of her.

There was silence after that, but Integra knew he hadn't left; his presence lingered heavily behind her. After a moment, he stepped around the couch and sat beside her. She could feel his gaze burning into her, but decided it was best to just ignore him. If he noticed her bloodshot eyes, he didn't mention it, and for that, she was thankful.

At last, Alucard stated, "If you want me to leave, you can simply order it."

There was no response, which Alucard took as permission to stay. Still, it wasn't quite the reaction he was hoping for, so he stretched across the couch till his head was resting in her lap.

Surprised at the sudden unexpected action, Integra blinked down at the Vampire King currently reclining across her. "Really, Alucard?"

He grinned softly. "If I had known you longed for female company, I would be happy to oblige."

Was that what this was about? She scoffed at the thought. "Honestly, if I wanted company of any sort, you'd be the last person I'd seek out." Even so, her fingers brushed over his hair. It drifted like silk through her fingers, never tangling, and draped elegantly over her lap and knees. His skin was too smooth to be human, she noted. There were no pores or flaws; this form was crafted perfection, an imitation of humanity. And though she'd never admit it, she found this form of his to be very beautiful. "Is this how you lure people to trust you?" she inquired.

His eyelids lowered over blood-red eyes at her soft administrations. "Is it working?"

"No matter what form you take or familiar you summon, I know exactly what you're capable of, vampire."

At those words, his illusion of innocence shattered: his lips spread into a grin that was a shade too wide to be human. The expression revealed too many razor sharp teeth.

If Integra had been intimidated by the implicit threat, she didn't show it. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips twitched upward at his theatrics. "Reprehensible beast," she muttered softly, yet her fingers traced down the soft slope of his jawline to rest upon his chin. "Yet I don't fear you either." To prove her point, her fingertips brushed over his lips without hesitation. They parted, and a breath of cool air fluttered over her hand.

"Should you?" Alucard inquired, examining her face with amusement glittering in his gaze.

"You tell me," she responded. "My men fear you. My father and ancestors fear you. It's why they bound you to the Hellsings in the first place and why my father locked you away for twenty years."

"Abraham bound me because I was a terror to Europe and to Mina." He smirked. "I can't deny that. As for why your father locked me away, well..." He hesitated, thinking over his next words. "I'm sure he had his reasons. Fear was probably one of them. Maybe he feared for his blushing new bride, maybe it was for the future children he wished to have." Something in his eyes hardened dangerously. "Maybe it was guilt for years of torture I endured at your family's orders." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the idea and by extension, the malice. "Either way, you are not Arthur, and you are not Abraham."

"I wonder," she said softly. The tip of her index finger pressed against the center of his chest, over his heart, as thought it were the pointed end of a stake. "If I've disappointed them. If I'm too weak, too inexperienced, too..." Her hand went slack against his chest.

"Ladylike?" he offered.

Her gaze narrowed onto his face once more.

He made a small grunt in his throat. The sound landed somewhere between masculine and feminine. "I've met many strong leaders in my time and seen the characteristics that defined them. Gender was never one of those features. Those who underestimate women deserve to fall by their hands. If those Round Table fools don't recognize your strength yet, I look forward to the day when you prove them wrong. I would like to see any of them attempt to earn my loyalty."

"Those are respected Knights chosen by the Queen herself, Alucard."

"They're a bunch of overweight, mustache-twirling cowards hiding behind money. You should allow me to play with them in your next meeting, my Master. It would be entertaining and enlightening. I could show you how fast they become whimpering scum pissing their pants at the barest threat."

"You are not a minor threat, may I remind you."

A cruel smile spread over his face once more. "You needn't remind me of anything."

An abrupt scream from the television drew his attention. He turned his head in her lap and examined the terrible acting of a potential victim onscreen. "What _ARE_ you watching?" he questioned.

"A film about the brides of Dracula. Do you not approve?"

A male vampire with greased-back hair had wandered onscreen. His fangs were comically large and impaired his speech; Ketchup-like blood dribbled down his chin. Around his neck, he wore the classic Count medallion made popular by Bela Lugosi.

Alucard's upper lip coiled over his sharp fangs. The expression of his disgust was infinitely more chill-inducing than anything the onscreen vampires could have invoked. "Tell me that's not supposed to be me."

She brushed a lock of his black hair away from his cheek and smirked. "I think it's a rather apt portrayal."

At that moment, the want-to-be Dracula hissed and recoiled at a silver cross, hands feebly clawing at the air as he retreated away.

Integra couldn't help it: At her vampire's indignant look of disbelief, she let out a peel of laughter. It was rare for the Hellsing heir to relax enough to laugh, and it felt good. The absurdity of everything, of her entire existence, of the alcohol currently pulsing through her veins, all culminated into a cruel joke, and suddenly she was laughing at that too. It wasn't even that comical - or perhaps it was, in a way - but she couldn't seem to stop. She curled forward until her forehead was resting atop his chest. Water pooled in her eyes, and she couldn't tell if it was from laughter or something more bitter and painful.

At last, her laughter died down, and she turned her head to look at his face. Her blonde hair was a messy veil over her head and clung to her wet cheeks. Her glasses tilted awkwardly on her face.

Alucard was watching her with a curious mixture of amusement and confusion. "You humans are so strange."

With her ear pressed against his chest, she could feel the vibration of his voice and wondered if he altered his vocal chords to affect his pitch or if it was an illusion brought on by magic. "Says the centuries-old vampire that parades around as a little girl." She fell quiet then, listening to the very sluggish beat of his heart because, contrary to popular belief, vampires did have a heartbeat, albeit faint and barely-there. Other than that, he was perfectly still. No breath passed through him. It was uncanny and a useful feature for a predator to have.

Laying here, the two made a starkly different contrast: Her tan skin against his deathly white; Long blonde hair entangling with his inky black locks; Cold blue diamonds of eyes clashing with a burning red that reflected the flames of hell itself. Protestant Master and Godless Monster, for he was undeniably the definition of violent chaos upon this earth.

Though somehow, despite all of that, resting there with him was somehow calming.

Unfortunately, it was also uncomfortable, and Integra sat up to relieve the cramp forming in her spine. Her straight blonde hair formed a curtain around both of them as she looked down upon his face, at the newest mien he had adopted. Though this form was quite different from the typical guise he embodied, there were some similarities: The regal slope of his nose was the same, as was his high cheekbones. His jawline was familiar, albeit softened in his female form. And of course, there was no mistaking those eyes.

His gaze was soft as he let her examine him. How many had dared get this close to the vampire and lived to tell about it? She wondered if even her father had allowed himself any sort of proximity with their weapon. She had spent enough time with him to know that he did possess intelligence and rationale, however warped it may be. Was it a weakness then, to treat him as a person rather than a brainless monster? Or, rather, was knowing her weapon personally a strength all its own? There was no guide book to mastering an enslaved monster, no rules to follow, and the advice that had been passed down to her was full of experimentation and torment. Obviously, those methods had done nothing but imbue him with even more power.

What other teenager had to face these sort of questions? Without peer, without anyone but herself and God and Dracula himself to answer to?

A stray tear, leftover from earlier, gathered beneath her round glasses. It fluttered down her cheek, catching briefly on the slope of her chin, and tumbled to land on Alucard's face.

It was enough to break the spell, and Integra recoiled back, embarrassed at her show of emotion. And in front of a demon that used such petty feelings for his own gain, no less!

For a moment, neither of them moved. Integra held her own breath in tune with Alucard's own unnatural stillness. Then his mouth opened, and a disturbingly long tongue emerged from between his carnivorous teeth and lapped at the drop of wetness on his cheek.

In an instant, he moved, faster than her eyes could register, like a snake striking. The nigh-unflappable Iron Maiden startled at the sudden inhuman movement. At once, his face was a breath away from her heated cheek, his nose trailing a path along her skin as he took in her scent and perhaps read something in it. A gloved hand hovered above her hair, though he never once touched her. There was a chaotic restraint within him, within his tense muscles and careful motions. At that moment, she had never been quite so aware of how dangerous the game she played with her servant truly was.

After a beat of tension, he dragged his tongue along the salty path up her cheeks to taste her tears once more. It left a new streak of cold saliva in its wake, and the unpleasant sensation made Integra cringe. She pushed against his chest to urge him to back away, but it did nothing until he decided to back away of his own accord. No matter what form he took, he always retained that terrible, incomparable strength.

He was positioned across her legs, one arm holding himself up as he loomed over her. His face was still too close to hers for comfort, and the intensity of his red gaze burned against her.

"It figures you'd crave the taste of tears like you desire the flavor of blood," she informed him calmly.

"Believe me," he responded. "I'd much rather taste your blood." The soft white fabric of his gloved hand cupped her chin and gently urged her to tilt her head to the side. His hungry stare flickered to her exposed jugular.

Integra clutched onto his wrist, stopping his suggestive train of thought. "That's not going to happen."

"Then tell me who caused your tears, my Master, so I can crush their bones and tear open their throats and devour their blood and soul."

She smirked at his yearning for bloodshed. "You'd be more likely to taste my tears than to taste the blood of every poor human that crossed me. I'm not the kind of leader that would decorate my yard with corpses, dear Count."

"Tch!" He scowled at the not-so-subtle jab at his past as a ruler.

As emphasis to her verbal victory, she pushed him away from her. He complied, falling next to her on the couch. Without him in the way, she reached once more for her almost-empty glass of wine.

"A bit young to be drinking by today's standards, aren't you?" Alucard said.

Integra downed the last bit of alcohol and gave him a sly look. "Why? Going to tell Walter on me?"

With a scoff, he reached for the bottle on the table before them. "Far be it for me to judge anyone's drinking habits." He examined the label, then crinkled his nose in distaste. "Though next time, I suggest I select the brand of wine."

Integra shrugged and extended her glass to him in a silent request. He obeyed and refilled her drink with an elegance that rivaled the trained servers in the finest restaurants. With a wave of his free hand, he produced his own glass from lord-knows-where and filled it with the remaining wine.

The two fell silent. Onscreen, a vampire hunter plotted the death of Dracula while Dracula listened from the shadows.

"Messy," Alucard commented.

Integra wasn't sure if he meant the hunter or the vampire, but she hummed her agreement nonetheless. "If the Hunter were smart, he would wait till daylight to plan instead of shouting his plot into the shadows."

"And yet the vampire still toys with his prey rather than build an army of his own. He deserves whatever comeuppance he'll get in this story."

Well familiar with her vampire's history, Integra glanced at him. "Oh really? Then tell me, Alucard, how well did that fare for you when facing my grandfather?"

His eyes widened with a combination of surprise and annoyance. The expression appeared oddly more innocent than usual on his feminine face. Then he grinned suddenly, maliciously, and whatever childish innocent illusion he had disappeared with the violent gleam of red irises. "My, my, the young Hellsing master has a sharp wit tonight." His fangs gleamed white in the dim room. Though she carried the knife-like wit, he wielded the dangerous blades to back them.

Integra chuckled, and the sound was a bandaid over the cut of her words. "Might I remind you, you were the one to impose on me tonight, Alucard." It was always their dance - Cruel jabs, a battle of wills, vicious observations. Yet in the end, they still sought out each others' company.

With that thought, her mood sobered. She took a small sip of her drink and watched as he did the same. It was rare that she ever saw him drink something other than blood. Though, she supposed, the dark red wine did look quite similar.

"May I ask you a question?" she said. When he inclined his head in permission, she continued forward before she lost her nerve. "Do you ever resent that night three years ago, Alucard? When I awoke you from that twenty year stupor? Do you ever wish my Uncle had achieved his wish, to murder me and succeed my father as head of the Hellsing house?" She paused briefly, then looked him directly in the eyes. "As your master?"

Alucard hummed thoughtfully, idly playing with a strand of black hair in a decidedly feminine gesture. She found the motion very peculiar coming from him. "Your uncle couldn't have controlled me. He wouldn't have had the strength nor the willpower. I would have easily broken him, devoured him, and been free."

"Hmm." She paused thoughtfully, her face carefully blank. "So you do wish I had died that night? You'd have your freedom."

Alucard sighed - an unnecessary action coming from an undead. "Oh my dear Integra. If I truly wanted out of these bonds, do you think this sigil could ever stop me?" He lifted his hand, his faintly glowing red irises examining the pentagram insignia ingrained on his gloves and his soul. Then he lifted his gaze to her, his eyes suddenly sharp. "I have considered the many ways I could sever these bonds. I am very powerful. If I genuinely desired my freedom, I would find a way out, no longer bound to you or your family."

A nervous chill, muted by the alcohol, fluttered along her body. Her lips tightened into a thin line. It was something she had often wondered about - How strong exactly were her vampire's bonds? What would happen if he ever found a weakness in them? Almost dreading the answer, she asked him softly, "So why haven't you?"

He smirked down at his wine glass, swirling its burgundy contents around. "You are asking many tricky questions tonight, my master. I don't believe we've talked like this since that first night you met me." He brought the glass to his lips and sipped its contents before continuing. "I once had lofty dreams to escape your family's curse, just as I had dreams to conquer Europe. But those lofty aspirations no longer hold my interest. Perhaps I've grown complacent in my old age or accustomed to the servitude." He met her steady gaze. "Perhaps I find your little organization infinitely entertaining. Either way, does it matter?"

"If you have the ability to break these bonds, it does."

"Breaking these bonds would mean killing you, Master."

Her fist tightened into her pajama pants. "Are you saying you don't wish me dead, vampire? The same hunter who descends from your greatest enemy?"

"It seems," he responded, "that I do not."

Silence.

Onscreen, the humans emerged triumphant. Dracula dramatically swore his revenge as a pointed stake was driven through his heart.

"It's funny," Integra said. "I spent my life learning how to hate your kind and destroy you. My father read me passages from Dracula when other children read fairy tales. And yet, here we are, and I worry about how normal I find your presence in my life. Surely my ancestors intended for you to be little more than a punished weapon in our arsenal. And yet..." Her gaze became unfocused on the wine reflecting the television screen, tiny flickers of light caught in the crimson ripples. "It wasn't a knight that came to my rescue all those years ago. It was Dracula himself."

"I am no knight," Alucard stated.

She laughed. "I've met Britain's knights. Hell, I'm a member of the Round Table myself. Most of them are... What was it you called them? Mustache-twirling cowards? No, you certainly aren't a knight." The mirth faded from her face. She looked over him, over the white outfit he currently wore and the inhuman visage of a female he had crafted. She frowned. "I grow tired of your trick, Alucard. Change back to your usual self."

Without a word, he placed his wine glass on the table and complied. Shadows knitted together around his body, crafting muscle and skin, fabric and veins. His bones snapped as his body lengthened into a masculine form.

"Better?" he asked in the deep voice she was so used to.

She looked over his black double breasted suit. It seemed he had left the red jacket, hat, and glasses off. She nodded her approval.

Making a sudden decision, she reached for a drawer on the coffee table in front of her, and retrieved a sharp letter opener. Alucard's lips parted as he transfixed on the object.

Integra stood. "Kneel and look at me."

Wordlessly, he complied, sliding off the couch and falling to his knees before her. His brows knitted together in confusion.

"This is our agreement," she announced.

The blade was dragged over her palm. At the smell of blood, his nose flared and his fingers twitched, but he made no other movement.

She held the precious wound out of his reach. "This is the price I pay for your servitude, Alucard. Whether by choice or by mystical bonds of my family, you are mine. Unlike my ancestors, I pay you in blood by my own choice, and you will serve me by your own volition. Do you understand?"

He bowed low before her till tendrils of his black hair touched the ground. The shadows wrapped around them, coiling across the walls. "Yes, my master," he purred. The honesty behind those words, and what that honesty meant, caused a cold shutter to pass through her.

With that declaration, she offered her palm to him. His fingers curled around her slender wrist and upper arm, which looked fragile in his grasp. No doubt, with little effort, he could snap every bone in her body. Yet his actions were slow and deliberate as he directed her hand to him. His eyes flashed to hers, burning bright with bloodlust, as he sought out her permission.

With lips pulled tight, she gave him a curt nod.

Instantly, he lowered his mouth to the blood pooling in her hand.

It was the first time Integra had ever fed him her blood directly from the vein. Sure, she had offered him teasing droplets, but she had kept a careful distance between her skin and his mouth, which happened to house a set of very dangerous fangs. It was... different. Intimate, perhaps. Or maybe it seemed that way because Integra was so unfamiliar with any sort of intimacy. Steady pulses of pleasure reverberated from her hand and throughout her body. Vampires could control pain and pleasure when they fed - It was a survival technique that coerced their victims into complacency. Integra didn't know how she should feel about the trick being used on her. It was at least better than pain, she supposed.

He drank from her wound steadily, slowly, as though committing the taste to memory. His hands held her arm in place tightly, though not enough to be painful. The sigil on his gloves burned a bright red, and Integra understood suddenly that the archaic symbol was reacting to her blood. It was the thread that connected them together, and blood was the currency. It would be strengthened by the exchange.

Her voice was gravely as she stated, "And if you ever even think of betraying me, I will not hesitate to plunge a stake through your chest, incinerate your heart, and end this pathetic existence of yours, No-Life King. May there be no doubt about that."

His eyes opened and locked on her face. She could see the ember-like irises from within the fall of black bangs. _Only an idiot mongrel would bite the hand that feeds. I may be a dog, but I'm no fool._ His words, his voice, reverberated within her skull.

Integra wondered suddenly what Alicia would think of if she saw her there, feeding her pet Dracula from her hand. How appalled would her former friend be? Would she think Integra a monster? At the memory of the word, spoken condescendingly from Alicia's oft-optimistic voice, Integra's heart sank.

"That's enough, Alucard," she said, her tone betraying her and revealing too many emotions.

He parted from her and dragged his tongue over her palm to seal the wound. His saliva worked to instantly staunch the bleeding - Another unique survival trick of his kind. She clenched the hand and noted the numbness of her fingers.

Alucard straightened his spine and took in her cold demeanor that belied the emotions he had tasted on her blood. "Why do you care what the human girl thinks of you? Why does her opinion hold any weight, my master?"

Anger flashed through her blue eyes. "You read my mind!" she accused.

He tilted his head in apology, but it was anything but apologetic. "It's difficult not to when I drink from a person. Blood hides very little." He shrugged.

With a dramatic sigh, Integra fell back on the couch. The action made her feel light heated and slightly nauseous from blood loss. "I don't know, Alucard," she admitted.

He slid into the seat beside her, but said nothing. He absently dragged his tongue over red-tinted fangs.

The credits from the movie had started rolling, and Integra focused on them. "Maybe I wanted a tie to a normal life; to be an average teenager for a while and escape all this death and stress. But then that night, with Alicia, I found out... I enjoyed it. The fight, I mean. The chase and the guns the danger and... well, you killing the vampires. I thrived on it. Seeing them die brought me joy; it made me feel victorious." She opened and closed her numb hand repeatedly. "I had never thought of myself as a monster. I wear a cross, go to church, pray daily. Yet out there, violence came so easily to me. What does that make me, Alucard? Can I call myself anything other than a monster?"

His eyelids lowered as he considered it. "Sometimes, those that are called monsters are merely the ones that fight too hard to survive and defend themselves, Master. The fact that it bothers you so shows that you are not evil. It is only when you surrender to the notion that you are a monstrosity that you become exactly what they see you as... Just as I long ago accepted what I've become. Some are born with strength, but it is how you use this strength that defines you. How did you react when your uncle threatened you?"

Integra's lips moved silently as she thought about it. "I fought and I killed him," she whispered.

"Some would see that as an evil gesture, but..." He spread his fingers out before him. "He is dead and you are alive. On the other hand, some are born weak and give in to any threat, similar to your human friend. At the appearance of danger, she surrendered to it. She was prey; you are not."

With another sigh, Integra folded her legs on the couch. Her lips curled downward in defeat. "I just wanted a normal afternoon, Alucard. The universe couldn't allow me that."

"What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly."

She scoffed. "Do you propose that I'm a spider, Alucard? And what would that make you? A Son of the Dragon?"

He grinned enigmatically at the old title. "Perhaps."

Another B-rate movie had started on the tv- This one featuring Dr Frankenstein and a murder mystery.

Integra settled in against her vampire, resting in the crook of his arm. "Try anything, and I'll cut off your hand and wrap it in silver so it'll never grow back." Despite her threat, her voice was soft.

Alucard chuckled lowly and placed his lanky arm around her shoulders. "Duly noted, my master."

For once in her life, Integra allowed herself close contact with another being, even if that being were a monster in his own right. She relaxed her head against him and breathed out her contentment. His body felt warmer than usual, a testament to his recent feeding. And it seemed so...

Normal.

Just one normal movie night between them.

She grinned softly. "Thank you, Alucard."

He didn't answer, but she knew he heard her.

* * *

 _Aww, wasn't that sweet. I found myself focusing quite a bit on Integra in this story; who she is and what turned her into such a strong leader we see in the manga/show. I feel like a teenage Integra would have moments of weakness._

 _I wasn't going to do a blood-drinking scene, as I found it out of place, but then I found that I wanted to write one. So I did. Again, my own amusement._

 _I really enjoy writing in the Hellsing universe. I may write another one soon; we'll see._

 _Thanks for reading, everyone!_


End file.
